Cotton-handling apparatus.



. No. 892,912. PATENTED JULY 7, 1908.

A. A. SULLIVAN. COTTON HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1907.

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Z7z0 7z in dm XW A No. 892,912. PATBNTED JULY 7, 1908.

' A. A. SULLIVAN.

COTTON HANDLING APPARATUS.

, APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1907.

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I jiZWf/ZZOI Z31 6 666 F GE. LSZblZac aib ARTHUR A. SULLIVAN, OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.

COTTON-HANDLING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July '7, 1908.

Application filed September 7, 1907. Serial No. 391,835.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ARTHUR A. SULLIVAN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Austin, in the county of Travis and State of Q Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Handling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for handling, cleaning and distributing seed cotton to a gin or series of gins, and the purpose of the same is to provide a comparatively simple, compact and wholly automatic cotton distributer of the belt type, capable of a constant and accurate operation.

The invention contemplates the use of means for automatically compensating for an unusual accumulation or overflow of cotton within the distributer, due to a surplusage of feed of the cotton to the gin or gins, and thus avoid jamming of the cotton in the lower part of the distributer adjacent the outlet means, or in fact at any point within the distributerv The invention has the further advantage of automatically taking up the overflow cotton and by the increased quantity of the cotton within the distributer actuate specific mechanism for opening a valve between the suction fan and the separator to admit air to the fan through the valve and cause a cessation of feed of cotton to the separator as long as there is a surplusage or overflow within the distributer, the said valve remaining open until the gin or gins are in condition to receive a further charge of cotton from the distributer. The seed cotton passing into the distributer from the separator will be greatly benefited by the operation of the distributer from a certain standpoint, as the cotton is moved through the distributer for a great length of time, and hence grit, trash, or other material carrried thereby is more nearly eliminated.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a distributer embodying the features of the invention and shown connected to a separator of known type. Fig. 2 is a similar view looking at the distributer and remaining attachments in a plane at right angles to that shown by Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the views.

The numeral 1 designates a separator of any well known type and provided with an air conduit 2, connecting with a suction fan 3, a screen4 being interposed in these )arator, as shown by Fig. 2, for a purpose \vel understood in the art. In the top of the conduit or air trunk 2 an opening 5 is formed and has an intermediately fulcrumed valve 6 cooperating therewith, the said valve having a connecting rod 7 uiovably attached to one end and also secured to one terminal of an oscillatable lever 8 fulcrumed on a support 9.

The separator 1 is disposed over and communicates with the top portion of a distributer 10, consisting of an elongated casing having a distributer belt 11 movably mounted therein and engaging rotatable elements 12 and 13 located at opposite extremities of the said casing, the rotatable element 12 being mounted on a shaft 14 driven from any suitable source and having a belt wheel or pulley 15 thereon exterior of the casing of the distributer. The belt 11 has a plurality of spikes or teeth 16 projecting therefrom in planes at right angles, and between these spikes or teeth are transversely extending metal bars 17, which are firmly secured to the belt and have their opposite extremities extending beyond the side edges of the belt to engage the upper edges of ledges 18 secured at opposite sides within the lower portion of the casing of the distributor to prevent the lower portion of the belt from sagging and the teeth 16 from striking the bottom of the distributor casing. The bottom of the distributer casing, as shown, communicates with. two trunks 19 of the usual construction and employed to direct cotton to the feeders of gins. lt will be understood in this instance, however, that the distributer might be used with a single gin organization and is not confined as to the number of gins which it may feed, it being only necessary to vary the proportions and diminsions of the several parts to facilitate the application of one distributer and the attachments embodying the features of the invention to more than two gins.

The top of the distributer casing has an auton'iatically operating actuator 20 fulcrumed therein at an intermediate point,

and covered by a shield 21 projecting above the distributer top. This actuator consists of a plate having one extremity pro ecting into the top portion of the distributer and normally depending far enough into the latter to be effective in performing its desired function, and which will be presently explained. The extremity of the actuator opposite that which projects into the top portion of the distributer is provided with n elongated eye 22 engaging a stud or projection 23 011 the lower extremity of a vertically movable shifting bar 24, this bar being held in operative adjacency to controlling meeh anism therefor, and has the extremity of the lever 8 opposite that attached to the rod 9 loosely secured thereto, as at 25.

On a suitable standard 26 rising from the top of the distributer 10, a shaft 27 is mounted and carries a band wheel or pulley 28, which is connected by a belt 29 with the band wheel or pulley 15 on the shaft 14 extending into one extremity of the distributer, and as hereinbefore specified. On the shaft 27 a pinion 30 is mounted and continually meshes with a gear 31 also held on the standard 26 and mounted on a shaft 32. This shaft 32 carries a spring arm or yielding finger 33 which is adapted to project over the vertically movable bar 24 and to engage either one of two studs or projections 34 and 35 disposed at dififerent elevations on the said bar.

The mechanism as illustrated by the drawings is in a condition when there is an overflow or surplusage of cotton in the distributer 01' when the feeders of the gin, as well as the trunks, are completely filled and the surplus cotton has been drawn over the outlets in the bottom of the distributer casing and removed to the top portion of the dis tributer by the spikes or teeth 16. This 'surplus cotton moved upwardly to the top of the distributer by the belt 1 1 is forced against the actuator 20 and presses upwardly on the extremity of said actuator projecting into the distributer, and consequently lowers the opposite extremity of the same device, owing to the intermediate pivotal support of the said actuator. This movement of the actuator causes a downward drawing action on the bar 24, and disposes the stud 34 in position for engagement with the yielding arm 33 on the shaft 32. Previous to the engagement of the arm 33 with the stud 34, how ever, the downward movement of the bar 24 will have pulled down on the end of the lever 3 attached thereto and raised the opposite extremity of said lever to open the valve 6 to permit air to pass through the conduit 2 to the fan 3, and thus check the suction on the separator and temporarily stop the indrawing of the seed cotton to the separator. The parts will remain in the positions just specified until the arm on the shaft 32 strikes or engages the stud 34 and raises the 'bar 24 if the surplus within the distributor has been worked oil or passed into the trunks 19, the release of the cotton from the dis tributer being effected when the gin feeders have delivered the maximum charge of cotton fed thereto to the gins. It will be seen that if the surplus cotton has been released from the distributer there will be no resistance to downward movement of the actuator 20, and the arm will exert sufficient pressure in an upward direction against the stud 34 to raise or force the bar 24 upwardly. -3hould, however, the resistance of the cotton within the distrihuter be too strong to per mit downward movement of the actuator 20, or should the distributer continue to carry the surplus cotton when the arm 33 arrives in engaging position with respect to the stud 34, the said arm, owing to its yielding nature, will pass-the stud and the parts will remain in the position shown by Fig. 1. If the oscillator be free for return to normal position, or to have its inner extremity depend within the distributor, the upward movement of the bar 24 will close the valve 6 through the operation of the lever 8, and the cotton will again pass into the separator 1, and from the latter into the distributor, and this movement of the cotton into the distributer will continue as long as there is no over-feed or surplus cotton taken off from the upper extremities of the trunks 19 communicating with the dis tributer.

The advantage of using two studs 34 and 35 is that when the cotton overflow'gradually diminishes in the separator it will permit the upper stud 34 to be struck and the bar 24 raised to a slight extent by the arm 33, and this limited movement will partially close the valve 6, and when the arm 33 comes around again it will engage the lower stud 35, which will then be in position by the previous movement of the bar 24 to be fully engaged by the said arm and completely close the valve 6 and lower the inner extremity of the actuator 20 tonormal position, this latter completing operation occurring at the time when the distributer will have been relieved of its overflow or the surplus cotton that has been operated upon.

The invention will be found exceptionally advantageous in distributing or supplying cotton from a separator to one or more gins, and, as hereinbefore noted, the extra handling or movement of the surplus cotton through the distributor will greatly benefit the seed cotton. This automatic control, or

the handling and feed of the cotton to the gin will prevent injury to the cooperating mechanisms and especially the gin mechanism, and also result in a more effective ginning operation. It is proposed to use anywell known type of separator and to apply the distributer to any form of gin now in use. This can be readily accomplished in view of the fact that the distributer mainly carries the mechanism, and it is only necessary to introduce a valve in the conduit or air trunk 2, as shown by Fig. 2, to set up a short air circuit between the fan and the exterior of the apparatus.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, is:

1.. In mechanism for handling cotton, the combination with a separator and a gin organization, of an air conduit connected to the separator and leading to a fan and provided with an upper opening, a valve controlling the said opening, a distributor between the gin organization and separator, an actuator projecting into the upper portion of the distributor and automatically movable, a conveying means adjacent to the actuator and o crating the latter in one direction by a surp us of cotton carried thereby, and a reciprocating member connected to the said valve and actuator and operating to automatically open and close the valve in accordance with the quantity of cotton within the distributor.

2. In a machine for handling cotton, the combination with a separator and a gin organization, of a distributor interposed between the gin organization and separator and having a movable conveying element therein, an actuator movably projecting into the upper portion of the distributor, an air conduit connected to the separator and the suction tan and having an opening in the upper portion thereof controlled by a valve, means for actuating the conveying element, and a reciprocating bar interposed between and connected to the actuator and said valve and operated by the means for actuating the conveying element for controlling the opening and closing of the valve in accordance ith the amount of surplus cotton within the dis tributer.

3. In a cotton handling apparatus, the combination with a separator and gin organization, of a distributor interposed between the separator and gin organization and having a movable conveying element therein, an actuator movably projecting into the upper portion of the distributor, a reciprocating bar connected to the outer extremity of the actuator, an air conduit connected to the separator and leading to a tan, said air conduit having an opening in the upper portion thereof controlled by a valve, connecting means between the valve and bar, driving mechanism for the conveying element, and mechanism for moving the bar actuated by the said driving mechanism for the conveying element to close the valve and lower the inner extremity of the actuator when the distributer has been relieved of an ovorllow oi cotton.

4. In mechanism for handling cotton, the combination with a separator and gin mechanism, of a distributorinterposedbetween the separator and gin mechanism, an air conduit connected to the separator and a fan and having means for establishing communication with the exterior of the apparatus, a rocking actuator movably projected into the upper part of the distributor, and a reciprocating connecting means between the actuator and the said means in the air conduit 'for establisl'iing communication with the exterior oi the apparatus and operated by the mechanism for controlling the movable element of the distributor to compensate for an overflow of cotton within the distributor.

In a machine for handling cotton, the combination with a separator and gin organization, of suction means connected to the separator and having a valve permitting communication with the exterior of the machine, a distributor between the separator and gin organization, moans movably projocting into the distributor, a reciprocating bar loosely connected to the upper end of said means and to the said valve, and devices for operating the said bar to cause the latter tomove in one 01 two vertical directions.

6. In a machine for handling cotton, the combination with a separator and gin organization, of suction means connected to the separator and having a valve permitting communication with the exterior of the machine, a distributor interposed between the separator and gin organization and having an actuator movably projecting into the upper part thereof, a conveyor within the distributor having cross bars at intervals projecting beyond the opposite side edges of the conveyor, lodges in the lower portion of the distributor for engagement by the ends of the said bars to prevent the lower part of the conveyor from sagging, and a reciproeating member connected to the valve of the suction means and also to the actuator and operating automatically to open and close the valve in accordance with the quantity of cotton in the distributor.

7. In a machine for handling cotton, the combination with a separator and gin organization, of suction means connected to the separator and having a valve permitting communication with the exterior of the machine, a distributor interposed between the separator and gin organization and having a conveyor therein, mechanism for operating the conveyor, an actuator movably projecting into the upper part of the distributor, a reciprocating bar having p roj cctions thereon and connected to the actuator and said valve, and devices operated by the mechanism controlling the actuation ot the conveyor and including a spring arm to engage the projections ol the said bar.

8. In a machine for handling cotton, the combination with a separator and gin organization, of suction means connected to the separator and having a valve permitting communication with the exterior of the machine, a distributor interposed between the separator and gin organization and having a conveyor movably mounted therein, an'

actuator projecting into the upper portion of the distributer, a reciprocating bar connected to the actuator and the valve and having projections thereon, and gear mechanism for operating the bar and includin a rotatable yielding arm to move the bar in one direction and controlling the open and closed condition of the valve.

9. In mechanism for handling cotton, the combination With a separator and a gin organization, of an air conduit connected to the separator and provided With an upper opening, a valve controlling the said opening, a distributer between the gin organization and separator, an actuator movably projected into the upper portion of the distributer and operated in one direction by a surplus quantity of cotton brought into direct contact therewith, and a reciprocating member connectedto the said valve and actuator and operating to automatically open and close the valve in accordance With the quantity of cotton Within the distributer.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ARTHUR A. SULLIVAN.

Witnesses C. GoETH, A. GIEsEN. 

